Multi-tap electrical connector



A ril 9, 1963 J. A. TOEDTMAN 3,

MULTI-TAP ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ,Filed May 5, 1961 IN VEN TOR.

JOHN A. TOEDTMAN BY f w ATTORNEYS 3,085,223 MULTI-TAP ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR John A. Toedtman, Jasper Blackburn Corp., 1525 Woodson Road, Warson Woods, Mo. Filed May 5, 1961, Ser. No. 108,057 5 Claims. (0. 339-246) My invention relates to electrical connectors and has special reference to an improved connector for joining a plurality of tap wires to a main or feeder conductor.

Multi-tap connectors of the kind to which the present invention pertains are widely used for connecting the electric service wires for a number of separate buildings to a main or feeder line, the connections usually :being made at a point near a pole or other support for the main line. In many instances, and especially where the main is intended to serve the homes in a new subdivision, tapolf connections with the main are made at different times. In such cases it is desirable to utilize a multiple tap connector wherein taps may be added to an already established connection without breaking the connection or disrupting service to a previously installed tap.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved multiple-tap connector wherein tap connection can be made at any time without disturbing others previously made by the device.

An important object is. to provide a device of the character described which is relatively small and compact, is easy to apply, and which, by reason of its small size and compactness, is well suited for enclosure in an insulated housing. v These and other objects are achieved by the improved shape and arrangement of body and individual jawmenrbers of the device of this invention, and the arrangement of clamping bolts for the jaw members, all as hereinafter described and claimed. i

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of my improved connector showing main and tap-off conductors secured in place;

FIG. 2 is a side elevationalview of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing one side of the body plate with the jaw members removed;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the opposite side of the body plate;

FIG. 5 is an endview of the body plate, and Y FIGS. 6 and ,7. are plan views showing the inner sides of the front and rear jaw members, respectively.

Referring now by characters of reference to the draw ings, the body of the connector comprises a generally rectangular plate 10, die-cast or otherwise suitably formed of a highly conductive metal such as copper or aluminum. An integral flange 11 extends along one horizontal edge of the body plate, for convenience referred to as the top edge because in service such edge will usually be uppermost. Flange 11 projects forwardly from what may be termed the front surface of plate 10, and also rearwardly form the back surface thereof. An arcuate groove or channel 12 in the body plate extends along the inner surface of top flange 11. This groove extends continuously from one end of the assembly to the other and constitutes a seat for receiving and holding a main conductor M. The opposite or rear side of the body plate. 65

immediately below the top flange 11, is similarly grooved as indicated at 13, providing a fulcrum seat for rear clamping jaws to be hereinafter described and designated.

A flange 14 extends along the bottom horizontal edge of the body plate, projecting forwardly and rearwardly from the front and back surfaces of the said plate. Two wire-receiving grooves 15 and 16 are formed on the foritd States Patent 0 "ice ward side of the body plate, extending along and immediately above the flange 14. These wire grooves are in alignment, one with the other, and are separated by a partition flange-17 projecting at right angles to the said grooves and extending from the lower flange 14 to, but not across, the main wire seat 12. Tap wires T1 and T2 are shown secured within these grooves. At the opposite or rear side of the body plate two additional wire grooves 18 and 19 are provided, these corresponding to and being back to back with respect to the grooves and 16. A central partition flange 20 separates the wire grooves 18 and 19. In FIG. 1 tap wires T3 and T4 are shown secured within grooves 18 and 19.

A pair of elongated clamping jaws 21 are provided on 15 the front side of the body plate 10, and a second pair of elongated clamping jaws 23 are provided on the rear side of the body plate, each arranged in substantial registration with one of the front jaws 21. The jaws 21 and 23 are generally wedge-shaped, thicker at one end than 20 the other, and all have outer surfaces which are curved ,in the lengthwise direction. Elongated openings 24 and 25 in the jaws 21 and 23, respectively, provide passages for clamping bolts 26, preferably of socket head cap screw type.

25 The front clamping jaws 21 are mounted on the body plate with their ends of greatest thickness uppermost. Wire grooves 27 in the upper inner surface portions of these jaws confront the wire groove 12 in the body plate and coact with that groove to position a main conductor 30 M in the assembly. In their lower inner surfaces the jaws 21 are provided with wire grooves 29, each of which confronts one of the wire grooves 15 and 16 in the body plate. These grooves coact to position the two separate tap wires T1 and T2 in the assembly. Each of the rear clamping jaws 23 has a single wire groove 31 extending horizontally across the lower inner surface so as to lie opposite a groove 18 or 19 in the body plate for coaction therewith. At their upper end portions jaws 23 have rounded bearing lips 32 that seat in the grooves 13 of the body plate.

Referring to FIG. 3 it will be observed that the front surface of the base plate is characterized by generally rectangular embossments 33, centrally located in the areas occupied by the jaws 21. These embossments have cavities 34 in their forward faces, and have a pair of threaded apertures or passages 35 and 36 which extend completely through the said embossments and through corresponding generally rectangular embossments 37 that project from the rear surface of the body plate. The threaded apertures 35 and 36 are arranged in parallel relationship, one above the other, and, it should be noted, have their axes extending obliquely, with a slight upward slope from front to rear, with respect to the plane of the body plate when the latter is vertical.

The front embossments 33 interfit with correspondingly shaped recesses or cavities 38 in the inner faces of the front jaws 21. Rear jaws 23 are likewise provided with rectangular recesses 39 to accommodate the rear emboss ments 37, and the rectangular passages 25 in these jaws are in alignment with both threaded apertures 35, 36.

Machine screws 26 cooperate with the forward jaws 21, extending from the forward side of the assembly freely through the elongated passage 24 therein, and are.

threaded in the uppermost threaded apertures 35. These clamping screws are desirably provided with washers 40 through which clamping pressures are applied to the arcuate outer surfaces of the jaws, which arcuate bearing surfaces and the vertically elongated bolt passages enable the jaws to adjust themselves to various size combinations of main and tap conductors. The bolts 26 for the rear clamping jaws extend from the rear side through the recness byhaving jaws on opposite sides of thebody plate and-by their arrangement of substantial registration, one' behind the other; The clamping bolts for front andrear jaws are offset from each other'so as to avoid mutual interference. Any disadvantage'which such offsetting ofthe bolts might have in their relation with the jaws is com-' pensated'for by an oblique arrangement of the bolts so that their headportions apply clamping forces to the center areas ofthe jaws, thus obtaining a more favorable.

distribution of the clamping forces to theconductors.

In-use, the device is installed on a main conductorwhich is caused to be tightly clamped in the main wire seat 12-by both forward jaws 21. Tap conductors are clamped in place in the lower wire seats. Since the mainconductor is secured by two separate jaws, either one thereof may be relaxed by loosening its associated clamping bolt'so as to open andpermit the introduction of a tap conductor into a lower wire seat. In the meantime there is no interruption of the service to other tap connections of the device because the other main clamping jaw has notheen disturbed. By reason of the utilization of both sides of thebody plate and the described construction and arrangement of the clamping jaws thereon a small, compact, highly efficient connector results.

Having described my invention by reference to a practical embodiment, it will be understood that changes may be made in the device herein shown and'described with out departing from the spirit and full intendment of the invention which is defined by the appended claims.

I claim: a t

1.'In an electrical multi-tap wire connector of the character described, including a body plate, wire clamping jaws arranged in substantial registration onopposite sides of said body plate, said body plate and jaws having complementary wire seats formed therein near the end portions of said jaws, each jaw having a passage, a clamping bolt for each said'jaw, said body plate being provided with offset threaded apertures, one aperture for each bolt, said apertures extending parallel to each other and obliquely to the body plate, each said clamping bolt extending freely through the passage of its related jaw, threadedly through one of said apertures formed in said body plate and freely into an opening in an opposite jaw, said clamping bolts being parallel with respect to'each other, and extending 'obliquely'with respect to the body plate, the head portions of said clamping bolts engaging central portions of their related jaws.

2. An electrical multi-tap connector comprising a gen erally rectangular body plate having flanges extending along upper and lower margins from the front and rear surface thereof, and having a main wire groove extending continuously between opposite ends along said upper marginal flange, said body plate having-tap wire grooves in said forward and rear surfaces, extending along said lower marginal flange on opposite surfaces of the body plate; a pair of independentlyoperable front jaws on the front surface of said body plate, a pair of independently operable rear jaws on the rear surface of said body plate, in opposite relation to the front jaws, said front jaws having wire grooves in opposed relation to said main and tap -wire grooves of the body plate, partition flanges formed onandprojecting from the front and rear surfaces of 'thebody platebetween the paired front jaws, said partition flanges extending across said tap wire grooves,'each of said clamping jaws having an elongated passage, said bodyplate-having' two pairs of threaded apertures, each pair communicating with the elongated passages in oppositefront and rear jaws, and a clamping bolt-"for each ofsaid jaws, each ofv said clamping bolts extending-freely through. the-passageway of its related jaw, threadedly through one of said plate apertures and freely into an opening in -an opposite clamping jaw.

3. An electricalmulti-tap connector as defined in claim 2, wherein said elongated jaw passages extend longitudinally at-right angles to said wire grooves, and said jaws are provided with -arcuate, outer bearing surfaces for said clamping bolts, extending along and curved in the direction of said elongated passages.

4. vAn electrical multi-tap'connector as defined in claim 2, wherein said-clamping bolts extend in parallel relation with each other, and at an angle of less than degrees to the plane of said body plate.

5.- An 'electricalmulti-tap connector as defined in claim 2, wherein said body plate, is provided with embossments of-non-circularconfiguration, projecting from the front and rearsurfaces thereof, and through which embossments the said threaded passages extend, and wherein said clamping jaws are provided with recesses ;of configuration corresponding to that of said embossments, said embossments nesting in said recesses of said clamping jaws.

References. Cited in the fileof'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,789,502 

1. IN AN ELECTRICAL MULTI-TAP WIRE CONNECTOR OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, INCLUDING A BODY PLATE, WIRE CLAMPING JAWS ARRANGED IN SUBSTANTIAL REGISTRATION ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BODY PLATE, SAID BODY PLATE AND JAWS HAVING COMPLEMENTARY WIRE SEATS FORMED THEREIN NEAR THE END PORTIONS OF SAID JAWS, EACH JAW HAVING A PASSAGE, A CLAMPING BOLT FOR EACH SAID JAW, SAID BODY PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH OFFSET THREADED APERTURES, ONE APERTURE FOR EACH BOLT, SAID APERTURES EXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND OBLIQUELY TO THE BODY PLATE, EACH SAID CLAMPING BOLT EXTENDING FREELY THROUGH THE PASSAGE OF ITS RELATED JAW, THREADEDLY THROUGH ONE OF SAID APERTURES FORMED IN SAID BODY PLATE AND FREELY INTO AN OPENING IN AN OPPOSITE JAW, SAID CLAMPING BOLTS BEING PARALLEL WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AND EXTENDING OBLIQUELY WITH RESPECT TO THE BODY PLATE, THE HEAD PORTIONS OF SAID CLAMPING BOLTS ENGAGING CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THEIR RELATED JAWS. 